Earth Systems Today

Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Interactive Way to Learn About Geology
Review: Earth Systems Today Living Text
?2001 Wadsworth Group ISBN 0-534-37734-3
Brooks/Cole, Thompson Learning.

This CD is an introductory exploration of earth science topics, including physical geology, historical geology earth science, earth systems science, oceanography, environmental science, and meteorology.

It contains interesting, entertaining interactive activities with simulations and animations in each chapter. The activities instruct about the topic. Then the student clicks on the homework assignment for the topic and answers questions about what was learned in the activities part. Some of the questions are interactive multiple choice, others are essay questions. There are windows where the student can write out essays, or notes, and print them out. It is very easy to click back and forth between the activities and the homework, and between the Table of Contents and any of the chapters. The topics include: weather and climate, the Earth's layers, geologic time, volcanism, waves, tides and currents, ground water, the rock cycle, atoms and crystals, earthquakes and tsunamis, and plate tectonics. This CD is an educational work of art.

The CD Table of Contents opens as ten circles which you click on to access each chapter:

Chapter 1: Weather and Climate: Activities: El Ni?o. Ozone Hole. Weather Forecasting.

Chapter 2: Earth's Layers: Activities: P and S Waves. Reflection/Refraction. Core Studies, Hetero/Homogeneous. Layered. Earth's Core Study.

Chapter 3: Geologic Time: Activities: Relative Dating. Absolute Dating. Changing Earth.

Chapter 4: Rocks and Rock Cycle: Activities: Rock Cycle. Rock Laboratory: Igneous. Sedimentary. Metamorphic.

Chapter 5: Waves, Tides, and Currents: Activities: Wave Properties. Wave Progression. World Currents. High/Low Tides. Wind-Wave Relationships. Dissect a Current. Tidal Forces: Center of Mass. Calculate Forces. Apply Forces. Tidal Shifts: Earth-Moon. Earth-Moon-Sun.

Chapter 6: Volcanism: Activities: Magma Chemistry: Basalt Flow. Lava Dome. Pyroclastic Flow. Lahar. Distribution of Volcanism. Volcanic Landforms: Discover Volcanic Landforms. Landform Quiz. Volcanic Watch USA: Mt. Rainier, WA. Kilauea, HI. Long Valley, CA.

Chapter 7: Groundwater: Activities: Groundwater Basics. Tapping the Ground: Cone of Depression. Multiple Wells. Permeability. Potentiometric Surface. Contamination.

Chapter 8: Earthquakes and Tsunamis: Activities: Earthquakes in Space and Time. Tsunamis: Papua Simulation. Most Destructive. Prediction. Seismic Risk, USA. Seismic Case Study. Alaska, 1964: Video. Setting. Tsunami. Measurement.

Chapter 9: Plate Tectonics: Activities: Plate Locations. Plate Boundaries: Divergent. Convergent. Transform. Expedition. Triple Junctions and Seafloor Study.

Chapter 10: Atoms and Crystals: Activities: Mineral Lab: Isolated. Single. Double. Sheet. Framework.

?2001 Wadsworth Group ISBN 0-534-37734-3
Brooks/Cole, Thompson Learning.

for Windows? 95?, 98?, NT?. 4 Processor: Pentium I equivalent or better. 266 MHz or better. 64 MB RAM, 50 MB Installation, 4x CDROM, 56k Modem.

for Macintosh Systems: PowerMac?, iMac?, G3, G4, and newer, 200 MHz or better, MacOS 8.6 and higher. 64MB RAM, with at least 16 MB of VIRTUAL MEMORY TURNED ON. Systems with a total RAM of 80 MB or greater (64 MB physical plus 16 MB virtual or 80 MB physical) will have the greatest performance. 50 MB installation. 4x CDROM, 56K Modem.

Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Interactive Way to Learn About Geology
Review: Earth Systems Today Living Text
©2001 Wadsworth Group ISBN 0-534-37734-3
Brooks/Cole, Thompson Learning.

This CD is an introductory exploration of earth science topics, including physical geology, historical geology earth science, earth systems science, oceanography, environmental science, and meteorology.

It contains interesting, entertaining interactive activities with simulations and animations in each chapter. The activities instruct about the topic. Then the student clicks on the homework assignment for the topic and answers questions about what was learned in the activities part. Some of the questions are interactive multiple choice, others are essay questions. There are windows where the student can write out essays, or notes, and print them out. It is very easy to click back and forth between the activities and the homework, and between the Table of Contents and any of the chapters. The topics include: weather and climate, the Earth's layers, geologic time, volcanism, waves, tides and currents, ground water, the rock cycle, atoms and crystals, earthquakes and tsunamis, and plate tectonics. This CD is an educational work of art.

The CD Table of Contents opens as ten circles which you click on to access each chapter:

Chapter 1: Weather and Climate: Activities: El Niño. Ozone Hole. Weather Forecasting.

Chapter 2: Earth's Layers: Activities: P and S Waves. Reflection/Refraction. Core Studies, Hetero/Homogeneous. Layered. Earth's Core Study.

Chapter 3: Geologic Time: Activities: Relative Dating. Absolute Dating. Changing Earth.

Chapter 4: Rocks and Rock Cycle: Activities: Rock Cycle. Rock Laboratory: Igneous. Sedimentary. Metamorphic.

Chapter 5: Waves, Tides, and Currents: Activities: Wave Properties. Wave Progression. World Currents. High/Low Tides. Wind-Wave Relationships. Dissect a Current. Tidal Forces: Center of Mass. Calculate Forces. Apply Forces. Tidal Shifts: Earth-Moon. Earth-Moon-Sun.

Chapter 6: Volcanism: Activities: Magma Chemistry: Basalt Flow. Lava Dome. Pyroclastic Flow. Lahar. Distribution of Volcanism. Volcanic Landforms: Discover Volcanic Landforms. Landform Quiz. Volcanic Watch USA: Mt. Rainier, WA. Kilauea, HI. Long Valley, CA.

Chapter 7: Groundwater: Activities: Groundwater Basics. Tapping the Ground: Cone of Depression. Multiple Wells. Permeability. Potentiometric Surface. Contamination.

Chapter 8: Earthquakes and Tsunamis: Activities: Earthquakes in Space and Time. Tsunamis: Papua Simulation. Most Destructive. Prediction. Seismic Risk, USA. Seismic Case Study. Alaska, 1964: Video. Setting. Tsunami. Measurement.

Chapter 9: Plate Tectonics: Activities: Plate Locations. Plate Boundaries: Divergent. Convergent. Transform. Expedition. Triple Junctions and Seafloor Study.

Chapter 10: Atoms and Crystals: Activities: Mineral Lab: Isolated. Single. Double. Sheet. Framework.

©2001 Wadsworth Group ISBN 0-534-37734-3
Brooks/Cole, Thompson Learning.

for Windows® 95®, 98®, NT®. 4 Processor: Pentium I equivalent or better. 266 MHz or better. 64 MB RAM, 50 MB Installation, 4x CDROM, 56k Modem.

for Macintosh Systems: PowerMac®, iMac®, G3, G4, and newer, 200 MHz or better, MacOS 8.6 and higher. 64MB RAM, with at least 16 MB of VIRTUAL MEMORY TURNED ON. Systems with a total RAM of 80 MB or greater (64 MB physical plus 16 MB virtual or 80 MB physical) will have the greatest performance. 50 MB installation. 4x CDROM, 56K Modem.